- Not every truck accident attorney handles federal trucking regulations.
- Ask how many truck cases the firm handles annually.
- Experience with commercial carriers matters.
- Trucking cases can involve multiple potentially responsible parties.
- The driver’s employer may not be the only defendant.
- Maintenance contractors can become relevant.
- Cargo-loading companies can sometimes matter.
- Trucking-company insurance policies may be substantially different from ordinary auto policies.
- Multiple insurers can complicate negotiations.
- Evidence can disappear quickly.
- Electronic logging data may become important.
- Driver qualification records can matter.
- Vehicle inspection records can matter.
- Black-box/ECM data may be relevant.
- Accident reconstruction can become important.
- A lawyer who primarily handles ordinary auto collisions may not have the same specialized experience.
- Contingency percentages vary.
- Litigation expenses may be treated differently between firms.
- Ask whether expert-witness costs are advanced.
- Ask what happens if the case is unsuccessful.
- Settlement authority and negotiation strategy matter.
- Beware guarantees about settlement amounts.
- Ask who will actually handle your case.
- Understand the fee agreement before signing.
- Biggest mistake: choosing a lawyer based solely on advertising prominence rather than relevant trucking-litigation experience.
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